Dec 18, 2023 at 7:02 AM Update: an hour ago
Eliminating discrimination in youth care is difficult. A “white gaze” within the sector is one of the causes. This is the first exploratory study into the problem. The report has already been viewed by NU.nl.
“Little is done to prevent discrimination and racism,” says researcher Hanneke Felten on behalf of researchers from the Movisie knowledge institute and the Verwey-Jonker institute. “And when an incident occurs, the sector often does not know what to do.”
The researchers note that staff in youth care also often face discrimination. This can be done by colleagues as well as by patients who, for example, do not want to be helped by someone wearing a headscarf.
According to Felten, “important organizations within youth care” were eager to participate in the research. “The fact that they consider this an important theme is a good sign.”
Youth Care Netherlands, the trade organization with about a hundred members, has announced that it wants to study the research carefully before the umbrella organization comes up with a substantive response.
Hundreds of thousands of clients, tens of thousands of youth care employees
Youth care is a broad sector. For example, you can think of children’s homes, but also youth probation and parenting help at home for parents.
According to the most recent figures, from 2021, 461,000 young people aged 0 to 23 receive some form of youth care. In 2022, more than 32,000 people worked in youth care.
‘Mainly white staff in the sector lack connection with clients’
ExPex, the national association of experts in youth care, states that discrimination against young people with a migration background is common in youth care. “Many staff in youth care are white,” a spokesperson sees as part of the problem. “Because of their white gaze, they miss the connection with young people with a migration background. And they do not feel taken seriously.”
The researchers note the same as ExPex. “An important step in this could be to get more people of color into policy-making positions,” it says Exploration of discrimination and racism in healthcare.
According to ExPex, young people in youth care are extra vulnerable. Therefore, the problem of discrimination is urgent and a solution must be found quickly. “These young people are often already traumatized before they come into contact with youth care,” the spokesperson explains. “Discrimination only adds to their trauma.”
Afran Groenewoud is a society and inclusion reporter
Afran writes about inequality in society and colonial history. Read more stories from Afran here.
Client disagrees with partial recommendations
The researchers argue, among other things, for more research into the extent of the problem. But the client of the investigation into Youth Care, the State Commission against Discrimination and Racism, believes this is unnecessarily delaying.
The advisory board, which was appointed at the request of the House of Representatives, sees the conclusions as yet another proof that discrimination and racism are widespread throughout society. That is why it is time to give priority to devising and testing solutions against discrimination and racism over research into whether and to what extent this social problem exists in the Netherlands.
“We now all know that there is discrimination and racism: in the housing market, the labor market, education, healthcare, etc.,” says chairman Joyce Sylvester of the state commission. “We don’t need to come up with more evidence. We need to eliminate it.”
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2023-12-18 06:02:43
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